Today is Budget Day when the Government lays out its spending plans for 2026. The Federation of Irish Sport has represented Irish Sport in making its 2026 Pre-Budget submission, outlining two clear financial requests to the Government for the next year and beyond.
We carried news of this last month when the submission was published and it is worth considering again as we prepare to find out how it has landed in the deep complexity of competing demands that the Government always faces at this time of year.
The submission called for a decisive Budget 2026 commitment to secure the role of sport in Ireland as a driver of health, community, and economic growth.
The Federation outlined the case for sustainable investment to safeguard and grow the sector, not only in terms of places and spaces but also in the human capital required to sustain an active population.
The primary request was for a 10% Compound Increase in Core Funding from 2025 to 2028. This would amount to a €3 million increase in core funding in 2026, followed by a 10% rise in each of the subsequent three years, as part of the already agreed-upon move to a multi-annual model.
The National Governing Bodies and Local Sports Partnerships are the engines of citizens’ engagement with and continued participation in sport.
A multi-annual increase in Core Funding will provide stability and financial clarity, enabling them to plan for long-term development and retain good staff.
This will have a direct impact on improving public health and well-being, fostering social inclusion, while also driving economic growth and increasing tax revenues.
The second key ask for Sport in Budget 2026 was for a government commitment to research and publish a report on an additional 1% betting levy for sport.
The creation of an additional 1% levy would yield approximately €40-50 million per annum in extra funding for sports.
This has been a long-term goal of sport, but switching to a request for a formal analysis initially is a smart move, as it is easier to deliver politically and, if the numbers are proven, makes this transformative move more likely in the long term.
“The Government has the power to make a meaningful impact on the sports sector in Ireland by recognising Sport’s social, health, and economic value and to prioritise core funding for long-term impact,” said Mary O’Connor, CEO of the Federation of Irish Sport.
“The return on investment is clear. For every €100 invested in sport, the return is €209.”
“While investment by Government in Sport and Physical Activity has increased significantly over the lifetime of the National Sports Policy, it is time for sport funding in Ireland to be in line with our European counterparts and match the EU average.”
“With the current National Sports Policy in its final two years, we want the Government to recognise Sport as a public good within national policy going forward. Backing sport means backing communities all over the country.”
The submission outlines in detail the comparison to European levels of funding and also presents the case for a structural approach to employment across the sector, one already in place in professions such as teaching and nursing, as well as in the public service.
Click here for the complete submission.
Ireland Active also submitted a pre-budget proposal to the Government. The representative body to the fitness industry’s central recommendation is the introduction of a tax credit for gym and swim memberships. This policy would reduce affordability barriers, increase participation in physical activity, and deliver long-term public health benefits.
This measure was restated in the Programme for Government and directly supports national goals, including the Department of Health’s National Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines, as well as the Sports Action Plan 2024–2027 target of 60% of the population regularly participating in sport and exercise by 2027.
To strengthen its case, Ireland Active again highlighted the independent research it commissioned with RED C, which found that nearly 3 in 10 adults (28%) would be likely to take up a membership if the tax credit were introduced. That equates to more than 850,000 adults nationwide, a clear demonstration of the potential scale and impact this measure could achieve.
While the Budget announcement is today, the publication of the detailed elements will not be until later this evening or tomorrow as the different Government Departments hold their own briefings.
Rest assured that Sport for Business will give full coverage to the pluses and the minuses that emerge.
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Further Reading for Sport for Business members:
Read our Sport for Business Coverage of Finance
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